Extensible chassis carrier



Oct. 8, 1957 H. 5. FALL EXTENSIBLE CHASSIS CARRIER Filed April so, 19563 Sheets-Sheet 1 'INVE'NTURW ATTURNE'Y H. S. FALL EXTENSIBLE CHASSISCARRIER Oct. 8, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 50, 1956 1/ N VEN TUEHHHHHH mum Hill IIH""" all ATT/JRA/Ey 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I Filed April so,1956 lllllll INVENTUR A ieaseri HAL Ey- M 6? m ATTURNEY WW" 0% v UnitedStates Patent EXTENSIBLE CHASSIS CARRIER Herbert S. Fall, Indianapolis,Ind. Application April 30, 1956, Serial No. 581,541

2 Claims. (Cl. 312-323) This invention relates to a device to be carriedin a cabinet for supporting and carrying a chassis of the electronictype in a manner in which the chassis may be carried within the cabinet,pulled forwardly out of the cabinet and supported in that forwardpostiion, and rocked by its forward end around and upwardly while stillsupported in order to permit access to the underside of the chassis.

Primary objects of the invention are to provide a track structure, onetrack on each side of the cabinet, which will have an exceedingly thincross-section in order to provide the maximum spacing for the carryingof chassis; a cradle carried by the track structure to which the chassismay readily be secured and removed; holding the chassis in a generallyhorizontally disposed position during the travel of the chassisoutwardly and inwardly of the cabinet; rocking means for permitting thecradle to be revolved from that generally horizontal position around toan upright position for access to the Wiring and elements appearing onthe underside of the chassis; a construction of quite low cost inproduction; a construction which is easily operated and secured in theoutward position; and which may be readily manipulated.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent to those versed in the art in the following description of theinvention in the form as best known to me at the present time, asillustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in front perspective of a structure to which theinvention is applied;

Fig. 2 is a view in top plan and partial section of the chassis carrierstructure;

Fig. 3 is a view on an enlarged scale in side elevation of the chassistrack structure;

Fig. 4 is a view in vertical section on the line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a view in vertical section on the line 55 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view on a still further enlarged scale in horizontal sectionon the line 6-6 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a view in vertical section on the line 77 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a view in vertical section on the line 8-8 in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 9 is a view in vertical section on the line 9-9 in Fig. 4.

A pair of fixed position rails or tracks 10 and 11 are fixed by theirrear end in spaced apart relation by means of a transversely positionedinverted channel 12. The forward ends of these rails 10 and 11 are eachrespectively fixed to supporting brackets 13 and 14. These brackets 13and 14 have respectively the cars 15 and 16 vertically disposed andextending outwardly from the respective rails. These ears 15 and 16 abutthe marginal portions 17 and 18 about the front opening of the cabinetgenerally designated by the numeral 19. The ears 15 and 16 are removablyengaged to these marginal portions 17 and 13 by any suitable means,herein shown as by screws 20 passing through the marginal portions 17and 18, through horizontally slotted portions 21 of the cars 15 and 16and screw threadedly engaging in a bar 22 extending vertically along andin contact with the back sides of the ears 15 and 16. These members 22may betermed bar nuts. In this form of support, the brackets 13 and 14constitute the sole support of the tracks 10 and 11 as tied together bythe rear spacing and stabilizing member 12.

Each of these tracks 10 and 11 has a back, vertically disposed web, Fig.5 designated by the numeral 23, from the top and bottom edge portions ofwhich are overturned in rectangular manner the flanges 24 and 25 toleave guiding troughs 26 between the flanges and the web 23.

The tracks 10 and 11 carry a cradle generally designated by the numeral.27. This cradle 27 is formed in a rectangular skeletonized shape tocomprise a pair of side angle bars 28 and 29 each having horizontallydisposed legs 30 and 31 with upright legs 32 and 33. The forward ends ofthe angle bars 28 and 29 are interconnected by an inverted channel bar34. Near the rear end portions of these angle bars 28 and 29 is aninterconnecting inverted channel member 35.

This cradle 27 is carried between the tracks 10 and 11 throughintermediate slide members 36 and 37 which are respectively slidinglyreceived between the flanges 24 and 25 of the tracks 10 and 11. Each ofthese slide members 36 and 37, Figs. 5, 7 and 8, is shaped in the natureof a flattened channel with a wide web 33 vertically disposed, from thetop and bottom edges of which web there extends the legs 39 and 4!)respectively outturned one in relation to the other and terminating inflat portions in a common plane parallel to and spaced from the web 38.The top leg 39 slides along the web 23 and behind the top flange 24 andthe lower leg 43 slides along the face of the Web 23 and back of theflange 25 so that the members 36 and 37 are free to slide longitudinallyof the tracks 10 and 11 and be supported vertically thereby.

Each of the slide members 36 and 37 has a pair of longitudinally alignedslots 41 and 42. Rivets 43 and 44 are fixed respectively toapproximately the mid-point longitudinally of the cradle members 28 and29 and near their upper edge portions to extend through the forwardslots 42 of these slide members 36 and 37.

Each of the cradle members 23 and 29 carries a leaf spring 45 and 46respectively fixed thereto by end portions, and carrying on their freeend portions buttons 47 and 43 respectively in alignment with the rearslots 41. Normally these buttons 47 and 43 extend transversely throughthe slot 41 in each instance. In this manner, the cradle 27 is slidablycarried between and by the slide members 36 and 37 with the rivets 43and 44 sliding longitudinally of the slots 42, and the buttons 47 and 48sliding longitudinally of the slots 41. The lengths of these slots limitthe cradle 27 longitudinal travel in relation to the slide members 36and 37.

Travel of the cradle 27 outwardly from the cabinet 19 will initiallybring the rivets 43 and 44 to the forward ends of the slots 42,whereupon the slide members 36 and 37 will then be pulled forwardlyalong the track members 19 and 11. Outward travel of these slide members36 and 37 is limited by means of a button 49 carried by a leaf springmember 50, in turn fixed by an end portion 51 to the slide members 36and 37 in each instance, dropping into a hole 52 provided in the forwardend of the track members 1 and 11 respectively. In the form hereinshown, the hole 52 extends not only through the track members 1e and 11,but also through the brackets 13 and 14. The leaf spring 59 extendsforwardly beyond the button 49 so as to have an end 53 exposed on theoutersides of the slide members 36 and 37 forwardly of the brackets 13and 14 and hence forwardly of the cabinet edge margins 17 and 18. Theseend portions 53 may be pushed inwardly toward the web 38 of the slidemembers 36 and 37 so as to withdraw the buttons 49 from engagement withthe fixed tracks and 11 so that when the cradle 27 is pushed inwardly ofthe cabinet 19, and the rivets 43 and 44 strike the rear ends of theslots 42, carrying the slide members 36 and 37 inwardly along the tracks10 and 11, the slide members 36 and 37 are free to make that travel bybeing released from engagement through the buttons 49 with the fixedmembers It} and 11.

One more feature needs to be described, namely the provision made forrocking the cradle 27 from its horizontal position shown in solid lines,Fig. l, to the dotted line position. Normally the buttons 47 and 48riding in the slots 41 will retain the cradle 27 in its normallyhorizontally disposed position. By releasing these buttons 47 and 48 bypushing them inwardly from the slide members 36 and 37 out of the slots41, the cradle 27 may then be rotated on an axis through the rivets 43and 44. Rotation of this nature is limited to an upward travel of theforward end of the cradle 27 by reason of the fact that the rear ends ofthe angle bar members 28 and 29 ride by their upper edges of the sidelegs 32 and 33 under flanges 54 and 55 extending one toward the otherfrom the slide members 36 and 37, as is shown in Fig. 2.

Both of the forward slots 42 are notched out at their forward ends onthe lower marginal edges thereof as at 56, Fig. 4, so as to allow therivets 43 and 44 to drop downwardly into those notches 56 and thusresistingly retain the cradle 27 in the forwardly extended position,Figs. 3 and 4. This is highly desirable particularly when the cradle 27is to be rocked and work is to be done upon the chassis generallydesignated by the numeral 57 as indicated in Fig. l. Incidentally, thechassis 57 which is completely shown only in Fig. l, is removablyattached to the cradle 27 either through the upturned legs 28 and 29 orthe horizontally disposed legs 30 and 31 as may be desired in accordancewith the formation of the chassis itself. A panel 58 is provided toclose off the front of the cabinet 19 by being attached to the front endof the chassis 57 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. When the cradle 27 isto be returned from its rotated position, it may be rocked around untilthe buttons 47 and 48 spring into the slots 41, and then the forward endof the cradle 27 may be lifted sufficiently to bring the rivets 43 and44 up out of the notches 56 and pushed rearwardly to slide along themarginal edge of the slots 42. As indicated in Fig. 8 particularly, therivet 44 carries an enlarged cylindrical portion 59 which approaches indiameter the height of the slot 42, and then there is a washer 60 on theoutside of that cylindrical portion 59 retained over the rivet by anysuitable manner, such as by the spring clip 61.

While the mounting of the chassis carrying structure has been describedas consisting of two brackets 13 and 14, it is obvious that additionalbrackets may be applied to the rear ends of the tracks 10 and 11 tointerconnect them with the rear portion of the cabinet 19, although in amajority of cases, that is unnecessary because of the fact that by thepeculiar construction of these brackets 13 and 14, wherein they extendvertically approximately twice the height of the fixed tracks 10 and 11,and extend rearwardly along the outer faces of those tracks 10 and 11 aconsiderable distance, the rocking of the track portions 10 and 11 isthereby prevented due to the long bearing vertically of these brackets13 and 14 along the marginal cabinet edge portions 17 and 18. In fact,in this mounting with the cradle 27 extending from the front of thecabinet 19 a distance approximately inches, 21 load up to at least 200pounds may be carried by the carrier even though that load is applied tothe outer end over the cross-bar 34. Normally the carrier in thisconstruction of its mounting is designed to carry a load safely ofaround 150 pounds.

Thus in summing up the construction, it is to be seen that no particularskill is required in mounting the supporting device to the cabinet andmounting the chassis on the carrier; the entire structure mountsentirely from the front of the cabinet about the opening therein; thereis an ultra-slim thickness of the mounting; the carrier is latched outin an extended position; and the carrier or cradle proper may be tiltedand latched at various angles for ease of electronic maintenance. Thestructure of this angle latching consisting in the present form of aseries of spaced apart holes 66 through the cradle upturned legs 32 and33 centered on an arcuate line, the radius of curvature of which iscentered on the axis of the rivets 43 and 44, and buttons 64 and 65 arecarried on free end portions of leaf springs 62 and 63 fixed to theouter sides of and toward the front ends of the intermediate slidemembers 36 and 37 whereby the buttons 64- and 65 are in the paths of andreceived in these holes 66 as the cradle may be rocked upwardly by itsfront end about the rivets 43 and 44. The buttons 64 and 65 may bepulled out by hand from the holes 66 to permit rocking and later holdingof the cradle at the desired degree of cradle tilt.

For maintenance or replacement purposes it may be desirable at times toremove the chassis 57 from the cabinet 19, which is particularly truewhen work to be done on the electronic elements requires the use of shoptools. Quick and easy removal of the chassis from the cabinet is madepossible by pushing the end portions 53 of the leaf springs 50 inwardlytoward the slide members 36 and 37 so as to withdraw the buttons 49 fromengagement with the fixed tracks 10 and 11. Then when the cradle 27 ispulled outwardly of the cabinet 19 the slide members 36 and 37 are freeto continue that outward travel by being released from engagement withthe fixed members 10 and 11.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the oneparticular form in detail, it is obvious that structural changes may beemployed in the structure without departing from the spirit of theinvention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that preciseform beyond the limitations which may be imposed by the followingclaims.

I. claim:

1. A chassis carrier for mounting in a cabinet having an opening definedby vertical marginal edge portions between which the carrier may beselectively extended from the cabinet, said carrier comprising a pair ofbrackets each engageable with one of said edge portions; a rail fixed bya forward end portion to each bracket and extending therefrom within thecabinet; each of said rails having upper and lower edges turned todefine opposing guide grooves therealong; a slide member carried by eachof said rails slidably guided by their top and bottom edges within saidgrooves; a cradle having side members; said slide members lying betweensaid rails and adjacent the respective cradle side members; a pin fixedto each of said side members; each of said slide members having a slotlongitudinally disposed therealong and terminating near the front end ofthe member; said pin slidingly entering said slot; each of said slidemembers having a second slot extending longitudinally thereof rearwardlyfrom said first slot; a leaf spring fixed by one end to each of saidcradle sides adjacent their rear. ends; and a button fixed on the freeend of each of said springs in line with said second slot and directedtoward said slide members; said cradle side members each having anopening through which said buttons may travel to enter said second slot.

2. The structure of claim 1, in which said cradle may pivot about saidpins upon release of said buttons from said second slots; a leaf springfixed by one end to each of the forward end portions of said slidemembers; said cradle side members each having a number of openingsspaced apart on an arc, the center of curvature of which is on the axisof said pins; and a button on each of said last springs in the path ofsaid last openings received in those openings selectively and retainingthe cradle in a rocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS516,583 Adkins Mar. 13, 1894

